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Corvantine Empire
The Corvantine Empire is a feudalistic absolute monarchy that exists in the lawless Caligari Sector of Segmentum Tempestus. Located in the sector plagued by small Warp Storms, it originated as a human colony that has been isolated from the rest of humanity since the Age of Strife. Since then the Corvantines carved out their own small civilization within their enclave and have been fighting off attacks from Chaos and various criminal elements for millennia, creating a formidable navy while becoming a regional economic powerhouse. Corvantine society is dominated by an emperor and the aristocracy, with the majority of the population being peasants. That is not to say the Corvantines are technologically backward. Most of their tech originated with what they brought with them when the first planet was colonized many millennia ago. Since then much of it has been degraded into a more simple form, like in the rest of the galaxy, but it is still considered to be advanced compared to its neighbors. Military service is seen as very prestigious due to the constant threat posed by various factions within the Caligari Sector and most technological development is in that sphere, causing problems in others. The existence of the Corvantine Empire is thus tolerated by the Imperium, as it has little control over the sector anyway and sees this enclave of civilization as a tool for further establishing order there. The state provides a place where vessels from the Imperium can resupply and receive assistance in their operations. This was a pragmatic decision made by a past leader of Tempestus Segmentum Command, and since then no one has seen any reason to renege on the deal. The Imperium keeps a high commissioner in residence on Corvantis, the capital, who represents the Segmentum Command's interests there. In exchange the Imperium occasionally provides the Corvantines with supplies and technology. However, the Corvantine emperors understand that if the sector falls under total Imperial control, their independence will probably no longer be tolerated. Thus they do not provide the Imperium with too much assistance, just enough to keep them satisfied. History Formation It is thought that the capital of the empire, Corvantis, was colonized by humans at some point during the Dark Age of Technology, with some surviving documents pointing to the date of M23. The world was located on the fringes of civilization so the new colonists had to get by on their own, bringing sufficient technology and possessing enough natural resources for that to be possible. Records indicate that local politicians during that time had been lobbying for the planet's total independence from the federation. Thus when the Warp Storms brought down the communications and transportation infrastructure of humanity, beginning the Old Night, it was seen more as a blessing than a curse to the Covantines. Their society revolved around the hierarchy established on the sleeper ship in which the first colonists had arrived and since then they expanded to nearby systems, although due to Warp Surges (small Warp Storms) that are common to the Caligari Sector, it was slow. Over time, society became rigidly divided into social classes: the high nobility, the lower nobility, and the common citizenry. The latter consisted of both peasants living and working on the property of aristocrats and a professional middle class. The Corvantines were under the rule of different dynasties during the many millennia of their existence, with their earliest records first making mention of the empire around M29. The tradition that extensive official histories of each dynasty were recorded and carefully preserved meant that they were provided with at least some reliable information regarding their past. As the Corvantine Empire build a larger military and continued its growth, it became more powerful economically and was one of the few fully organized states in the region. Because of this the Corvantine civilization became among the strongest regional players, possessing a large navy and a strong economy. However, over time the state has grown more corrupt and inefficient, the nobility has become more decadent, and the emperors weaker and less capable. The Empire prides itself as being the bastion of civilization among a sea of Chaos in the Caligari Sector, and historically its leaders have considered it to be their divine role to restore order to the rest of the region. Recent Government and politics The Imperial House The Corvantine civilization was under the absolute rule of the emperors of various dynasties, which had led it for thousands of years. The emperor had the power to appoint and dismiss ministers, grant and take away titles and land, promote officers to the ranks of imperial marshal, begin or cancel major military operations (being the commander-in-chief), repeal and enact laws, pass judicial judgement on certain criminals, make decisions regarding the economy and the Imperial currency, appoint and dismiss members of the privy council, and so forth. His rule was essentially unchecked, although over the course of the Corvantine Empire's existence, powerful noble families would gain enough power to influence the decisions of emperors. Various dynasties have ruled over the empire over the years. The current one is the Althmark Dynasty, which came to power in the 40th Millennium. Being one of the longer reigning Corvantine dynasties it has been showing signs of decay and degeneracy. There is an official law regarding the selection of a new dynasty upon the fall of the old one, but it is generally ignored and a succession crisis tends to be resolved at the barrel of a gun. Head of government Under the emperor, the head of government (at least nominally) was the Imperial prime minister. His powers included management of the various ministries and departments, making decisions regarding the economy, and sometimes, make military decisions. The prime minister had to work with the privy council, and was usually a high noble. During the reigns of different emperors, the prime minister could either be a weak yes-man who just followed the orders of a strong monarch, or an influential 'power behind the throne'-type of statesman, controlling a weak monarch. The nobility The Corvantine high nobility possesses great political influence, and by late M41, a select few families related to the Althmark dynasty have virtually total control over their domains and only paid lip-service to the emperor on Nephelos. Many were given high ranks in the armed forces or used their influence to keep their sons from having to serve on the front lines. They also used their power to eliminate any potential rivals. The later years of the Empire especially were characterized by widespread corruption among the government and nobility. Administrative divisions Star systems were grouped into territories under the rule of a local powerful noble house (duchies, counties, etc.), with the exception of a few strategically important ones that were directly under the emperor's authority. Military Society and culture Social classes Having a feudal society, the vast majority of the Corvantine people were peasants living on land owned by nobility. The peasantry had little or no say in affairs of the state (since there were no elections of any sort), and the only way to advance in society was by joining the military. It was the lowest class, including most of the Empire's laborers, but its members did get decent pay and accommodation. The rights of peasants varied by system (and different ruling nobles), but they were generally restricting and demanding total obedience. Living standards likewise varied by system. The lower nobility was the next on the Corvantine hierarchy. It consisted of nobles who lost favor with the Emperor, made some kind of major mistake, or lost their wealth for other reasons. The lower nobles still had titles but did not own as much as the high nobles did, with many of them actually possessing no more than peasants. They were viewed with disdain by the high nobles, as outcasts and failures, while still being scorned by regular citizenry for their connections to the nobility. The high nobles were the dominant class of society, consisting of several thousand different families that possessed a substantial amount of influence and owned large territories. Arrogant, spoiled, and decadent, members of the high nobility lived in large estates and palaces, had armies of servants, and received officer's commissions upon joining the military. They viewed themselves to be the elite natural-born leadership class, superior to all others. There was also a small middle class, which consisted of reasonably wealthy and successful individuals who were not nobles. These included military officers of lower background who rose through the ranks, successful businessmen, as well as skilled scientists and other professionals. Slavery was technically outlawed, but many would have argued that members of the working class were essentially slaves. All Corvantine citizens are required to serve in the military, though nobles often bribe their way around this law. Among the nobility they used the following titles: *Crown Prince *Grand DukeHeld by relatives of the imperial family. *Marquis *Landgrave *Count *Vicount *Baron *KnightOriginally it was sometimes sold to commoners by the emperor to raise funds, but this was stopped as the title lost its value. Notes: Religion Languages Astrography The Caligari Sector is a vast region that encompasses much of the unexplored expanse of the Segmentum Tempestus, known for its frequent Warp Storms that make navigation difficult at best. This has greatly hindered the Corvantine Empire's expansion, which controls and estimated 8% of its total territory, yet the Corvantine space is large when compared to most sub-sectors of the Imperium within the Segmentum. Notable Corvantine worlds include the following: *Anacreon *Asperta *Comprellon *Erytho *Getorin *Glyptal IV *Helicon *Kalgan *Lystena *Melpomenia *Nephelos *Rossem *Salinn *Siwenna *Tarip *Vincetori *Zoranel Category:Empires